Justice, thy name is L
by Absolve
Summary: Sometimes L wants to hurt Yagami Raito. It's L's dirty little secret, hidden so far away that even the fingers of his justice can't take it away from him. One-shot. No Pairing


Justice, thy name is L

_Phaenilix_

A/N: Something done out of boredom :| Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Death Note is not mine

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Prompt: Shadows

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L doesn't sleep.

It is a rumour that has been passed along one too many times. Understandable though, due to his abnormal sleeping habits and insecurity around unfamiliar people.

Yagami Raito is satisfyingly brilliant.

Or L thinks so anyway. It's new to him, having to always be at his best, feeling as though he's always one step behind this youth. (L refuses to acknowledge the minimal gap between their age)

L doesn't sleep. Yagami Raito is satisfyingly brilliant. L enjoys watching Yagami Raito sleep.

L reluctantly accepts this as a fact. When the hum and glowing light from his laptop are gone(shut, silent), and the only things breaking this precious silence are the dim city lights and the distant tinkering of Tokyo nightlife, L sits on his little nest of pillows and watches the moon. He allows himself to slip into a state of half-awareness, still staring at the glowing sphere, completely reflected by his large eyes. He would follow the beams of light as they played almost teasingly along the bed covers, shining brilliantly as they reached the length of silver chain.

Then L would once again remember the reason it was there and force his weary mind into full awareness.

L hates Yagami Raito.

He supposes that it is a reciprocated feeling-

But then he'd be lying to himself.

L hates Yagami Raito, but L loves Yagami Raito. Or rather, L the detective loves how Yagami Raito sets such an amazingly complex puzzle for him to decipher.

But.....L the man hates how Yagami Raito makes him feel unsignificant. Hates how Yagami Raito can make his very _existance_ seem insignificant. Hates how Yagami Raito can look so cruel and warm at the same time, and place such a beautifully perfect smile on his face.

'Fake! Fake! Fake!' L wants to scream. L wants to punch Yagami Raito's perfect face until it cracks like a ruined doll, percentages be damned.

Yet L can't do that, because it's against his very existance. Against Justice.

The moonlight throws Yagami Raito's skin into harsh contrast; the inky shadows dance along with the movement of the clouds.

L doesn't see shadows; he sees tattoos. He sees them as proof of Yagami Raito's crimes. They scream at him, 'I'm Kira, I'm Kira!' And he wants to rip them off of that skin and stick them onto paper as evidence. He wants Yagami Soichiro and Matsuda and the rest of the investigation team to stop glaring at him for suspecting their perfect little genius. He wants to stick those papers under their noses and shout 'Look! Look!' and be able to crow triumphantly.

But L can't(won't) do that, because L doesn't care about these things.

L doesn't like the way the shadows taunt him; whispering to him, imprinting their secrets into his skin.

Sometimes he can even feel Yagami Raito's lies curl around his mind. Then he drags his eyes up until he sees that damned face, settled perfectly even in sleep, and curses it.

Sometimes(most of the time) L wants to hurt Yagami Raito. It's L's dirty little secret, hidden so far away that even the fingers of his justice can't take it away from him.

L wants to carve letters and symbols into Yagami Raito's back, right where those shadows are. L wants to see Yagami Raito scream and bleed and beg for mercy. Perhaps because Yagami Raito makes L feel this way every single day.

(L banishes this thought)

L wants to run his fingers teasingly down that skin, make Yagami Raito feel secure, then dig his nails in as deeply as he can. He wants to see those red trails made by himself, wants to see Yagami Raito's perfect mask break. But most of all, L wants to see Yagami Raito's face as he realizes L has betrayed him; because L knows that unconsciously, Yagami Raito trusts L's intelligence.

Perhaps because Yagami Raito makes L feel this way every single day.

(L wonders if his mind is betraying him)

It is in that position L stays, throughout the night, lost in his thoughts. Or perhaps lost is not the word to use, since L is never _lost_.

L guides his thoughts throughout the night. Guides them on bumpy trails, past the speed of light, all merging at the end until it meets -

Yagami Raito

Yagami Raito who stirs and turns before opening his eyes and fixing his stare on L. Something stirs behind those perfect eyes, before a warm smile spreads across his face like wildfire. ('And just as dangerous,' L thinks)

'Good Morning' Kira greets.

'Good Morning' Justice replies.

And like clockwork, their day starts anew.

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**End**

If you didn't know already, the title was derived from a famous Shakespearean quote, _'Fraility, thy name is woman.'_ Hamlet (I, ii, 146)

Thoughts? Review. :)


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